Alex Clare vs. Passenger – Battle of the Brits

The categories in PopCrush's 2013 Battle of the Brits have some pretty heated competition. In this match, British music-makers Alex Clare and Passenger are going head-to-head in a fan-vote battle for the title of best singer-songwriter. Which of these guys gets your vote to move on to Round 2 of Battle of the Brits?

From a young age, London native Alex Clare was in love with music. He grew up listening to his father's jazz records and quickly earned an appreciation for soul and blues, which definitely reflects in his music. Clare rose to fame with his 2011 single 'Too Close,' off of his debut album 'The Lateness of the Hour.' The LP, still his only studio full-length to date, was produced by Mike Spencer and Major Lazer, and you can hear their wide variety of influence on rock and electro-inspired songs like 'Up All Night' and the aforementioned smash hit 'Too Close,' which also contains some definitive dubstep sonics.

Meanwhile, Passenger, aka singer-songwriter Michael Rosenberg, used to front the band Passenger, but now performs as a solo artist under that moniker. He's seen most of his success as a solo artist, with his most recent release, 2012's 'All the Little Lights,' peaking at No. 4 on the U.K. albums chart. His single 'Let Her Go' has been his biggest track by far, as it reached No. 1 in more than 15 countries. His delicate, guitar-driven, folk sound has won over listeners, and his thoughtful lyric writing makes him all the more appealing.

So, who will you vote for in the versus round? Will it be Alex Clare, or Passenger? You can vote up to once per hour below until the poll closes on July 17 at 2PM EST. After that, the winner of this match will advance to Round 2, and may even be crowned the best British act of 2013!